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Last updated 8/20/2024 - Originally published 8/20/2024
Written by SimpleTire
All-season tires are designed to offer consistent performance across different weather conditions, including dry, wet, and winter scenarios. These versatile tires are a popular choice for everyday driving. Among the notable brands in this category, Pirelli and Kumho stand out for their reliable performance.
Both the tires are all-season and are known to deliver as per the customer's expectations. They both offer good tread design that gives confidence and reliable traction on the road. The same is visible in their tire range of the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 and the Kumho Eco Solus KL21. Both of these tires are meant for use on CUVs, and SUVs. While both tires offer great performance, one has to be better than the other, right? Let’s compare Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires using SimpleScore to show where each tire excels and which one might be right for you.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 tires
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 is an all-season tire designed for crossovers, sport utility vehicles, and pick-up trucks offering good traction on most road surfaces. This tire comes with a 3D sipe technology and full-depth tread sipes deliver improved traction, handling, and solid braking. Plus, the innovative tread compound delivers all-season confidence. Backed by a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty and Pirelli's Confidence Plus Plan, which includes a 30-day trial offer on a set of 4 new Pirelli tires, and a limited tread wear mileage warranty.
This tire is designed to provide reliable performance in dry, wet, and light winter conditions and an excellent average SimpleScore of 9.6.
Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires
The Kumho Eco Solus KL21 is an all-season tire that's designed for use on coupes, sedans, CUVs, and SUVs, and offers drivers strong traction in dry, wet, and winter weather plus a 60,000 mile limited warranty. The tire is equipped with wide lateral grooves, a special shoulder design, stiff tread blocks, and an optimized tread design which helps offer a low rolling resistance for even distribution of tread wear. This tire shows an average SimpleScore of 8.4 making it a great all-season tire.
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires on traction
Traction plays an important role in taking care of grip on wet and dry roads, and a tire that delivers good traction also says good grip on the road. Both tires are designed to provide grip across various weather conditions. These tires aim to strike a balance between performance in dry, wet, and light snowy conditions. The Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3, has a score of 9.7 out of 10 in traction. This is thanks to full-depth 3D siping technology that allows for excellent traction, handling, and braking performance.
When comparing both the tires you will see that the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 is designed with symmetrical tread along with wide grooves that funnel water out of the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads, and the Eco Solus KL21 features dense siping that bites into the road for extra grip year-round. This has helped this tire to reach an average traction SimpleScore of 8.4 which is great when it comes to performance.
Considering the winter weather traction, you will notice that the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 exceeds the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 by a solid margin.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires on handling
The handling of a tire is improved by different elements of the tire’s tread pattern, in addition to the tire’s overall design. All-season tires are designed to balance performance for various weather conditions, including dry, wet, and light snow.
The Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 tire comes with a SimpleScore of 9.4. Featuring an asymmetrical tread pattern that allows for excellent traction, handling, and braking performance year-round.
On the flip side, the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 sports a solid 8.5 SimpleScore for handling, largely driven by the tire’s wide circumferential tread grooves, which allow it to be more durable and deliver improved handling.
If superior handling makes you tackle the roads easily, you will see that the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 will give you more confidence over the Kumho Eco Solus KL21.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires on longevity
Traction and handling play a crucial role in a tire’s life and so does longevity. It is equally important to traction and handling when purchasing a tire. A tire's longevity depends on several factors, including the quality of the tire, driving habits, road conditions, and maintenance.
The Scorpion AS Plus 3’s 9.8 SimpleScore in longevity is because of a reinforced construction, its innovative tread design gives drivers a quiet, comfortable ride, plus even wear to extend the tire's tread life.
Conversely, the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 offers an exceptional SimpleScore of 8.7 out of 10 on the longevity front. The tire’s tough, rugged rubber compound and lower carbon dust particle emission help lower the carbon footprint, and the Eco Solus KL21's durable belt construction enhances strength and durability for a longer tread life. Outside of that, the tire’s optimized design and tied shoulders put more rubber on the road which prevents irregular wear by evenly distributing road forces (in addition to boosting handling).
Here you will again notice an elevated steep in progress in terms of longevity for the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 over the Kumho Eco Solus KL21.
Both the tires perform solid when it comes to longevity, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 offers a 70k warranty, and the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 offers a 60k limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
When to use each
All-season tires are designed for year-round use in moderate, consistent temperatures. They provide a balance of convenience and versatility, offering a longer lifespan compared to tires tailored for specific weather conditions like winter or summer tires. This durability is due to their tread compound, which is optimized for handling and performance in varied seasons. If you live in areas that receive heavy snowfall, neither the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 nor Kumho Eco Solus KL21 will provide optimal performance as they are not built to be used in extreme winter weather conditions. Their usage is limited in areas with heavy snowfall as both tires are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certifiedl. What will work best here is a set of winter tires that will deliver improved traction and safety. That said, all-season tires are an excellent choice if you live in an area that only gets light snow. Additionally, cautious driving habits and avoiding harsh conditions can help preserve the tread and overall integrity of the tires.
Which one should you choose?
So, which all-season tire is the right option for you? When looking at SimpleScore, the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 comes with an 8.8, on the other hand, the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 tops with an excellent score of 9.6. As noted above, there are key differences between the two tires and these need to be weighed against each other to determine what’s best for you. Finally (and maybe, most importantly), pricing on these two tires is a bit different as Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 tires cost at least $182.26 per tire while Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires cost at least $117.96 per tire. That means a set of four Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 all-season tires will cost you at least $729.04 for a set of four, while a set of four Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires will cost you at least $471.84. Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 if you:
- Drive a Ford Escape, Buick Envision, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue or a Fiat Toro
- Looking for exception traction 9.6
- Want a tire with unmatched handling capabilities 9.4
- Longevity plays a crucial role in your selection of tires at 9.8
- Are willing to pay slightly more for the above-mentioned difference
Conversely, you should choose the Kumho Eco Solus KL21 if you:
- Drive a CUV, SUV, or minivan like the Mazda CX-50, Toyota RAV4, or Honda Odyssey
- Want a more affordable tire
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires might not seem a close comparison on the surface, but the above clearly shows that either is a great option. Remember, both of the tire brands are some of the best tire manufacturers on the market, and that tradition continues with the Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 and Kumho Eco Solus KL21. At the end of the day, the decision to buy one or the other depends on your vehicle, where (and how) you drive, and what you care more about in terms of traction, handling, longevity, and price.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.